Hopper



Sept. l, 1936.

{ J. s. BENNETT HOPPER yFiled Sept. 28, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 O (D O Sept. l 1936.

J. s. BENNETT 2,052,959

HOPER Filed spt, 28, 1932 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Sept. 1, 1936 'UNIT-Eo' .STATES PATENT ferries' .Joseph s. Bennett', ,assigner 10 Asierican Engineering Com pany, Philadelphiara.,

a corporation'of Pennsylvania Application SeptemherzS, 1932, Serial No. `635,190

' Y4 V(o1. no4-rsi.)

This invention relates to, lioppers, end more particularly to hoppers employed :boiler 'fiurnaces having in lconjunction `therewith :troughs into which the Water for quenching the `azslamay drain. In hoppers iofgthis 'character it frequently happens :that considerable. refuse enters :the trough from the llfiopper Kwith the watencansing the outlet discharge .df the trough to fclog. When this occurs Athe nwater hows Aover the *wallsof the trough and spills onto the :door therebeneath. In -order lto receive lthe fwater :draining lfrom the hopper land to Tconserve space, `the trough must necessarily be positioned in lclose proximity to the hopper and-because o'f this :it is lditiicult to remove the refuse collected therein. f

The primaryfobject of the present invention. therefore, is fto provide means whereby the trough may bedumpe'd at intervals :so that any .foreign matter -collected ytherein will be discharged therefrom. Y

,A more vspecic object of r .the present invention is to provide novel mechanism tomdumping the trough, which -functions independently of operating mechanisms for the hopper gates.

:Other and `further"objects will become apparent 4as the :description of the invention progresses. v Ofthedrawings: i '1 t gi Fig. -l is an end view fof :a .hopper-:showing the position of the'troughfwith respect thereto and the operating mechanism for said trough.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the hopper and trough shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is an end view of a modied trough construction and operating mechanism therefor.

The hopper I shown herein is of the general type disclosed in United States application Serial No. 282,776, filed June 4, 1928, and comprises side walls 2 and 3, and end walls 4 and 5. Hopper I may be secured to the walls of an ash pit so that the ashes discharging from the furnace may enter vthe same by gravity. The bottom opening of the hopper is normally closedby a pair of swinging gates 6 and 1, the side supporting members 8 and 9 of which are pivotally supported upon pins I8 and II secured to brackets I2 and I3 provided on the end walls 4 and 5 respectively. The side supporting members 8 and 9 are provided with intermeshing segmental gear members I4 and I5. The lower edge of each gate 6 is provided with a tooth section I6 which meshes with a gear I1 secured to a shaft I8 extending lengthwise of the hopper. Shaft I8 is suitably journalled in brackets I9 secured to and extending outwardly from end Walls '4,and 5. l'I'he supporting .members 8 and :9 for the fgates -6 andY :l :are respectively provided avi-th enlarged openings 23 and 2 I, thus 4permitting swinging-movement of the gates. From the construction of the 'elements-just described,

itis seen that upon vactuation of shaft I 8, gears Il will -simuiltaneottslyswingthe-gate members S and l in opposite directions about pins I8 and I-I.A

A bridge `member 22'secured to v4end'walls '4 and 5 near the lower ledges thereofgsubstantially mid l0 wayfbe'tween'side walls 2 and 3, .is provided to deectuthe 'ash from a trough 24 supported therebeneath 4when the gates `6 'and `I are opened. As shown .in'Fig- 3, the inner edges of gates Ai5 and l are spaced apart forming a drain for 'the hopper. l5

Asl'stated, ttide-bridge 2.2 is'provided to deflect 'the ash from( gtncmgh 24 and thus. prevent Idamage thereto.- It is apparent., however; that the trough may be constructed 'sniciently' rugged as not to be damaged by failing ash, and in such constructions the bridge 22 may beeliminated. 'Trough 24 has securedto the 'end-s thereof pins 25 and 25, respectively, which .extend through apertures provided in brackets E21? and 28, secured, respectively, to end walls 4and'5. 'Secured to pin 25 is a 'gear Svvhich meshes with a segmental gear 3| rotatably mounted upon4 sapin '32 secured to Abracket 21. The outer end of an arm 33 integral v/i'th segmental rgear 3i is pivotal-ly attached to fone end of a link 34. The other end of said link is pivotally plate 38 is also secured to end wall 4 and is provided with two or more radial slots 39 and 4D respectively. A hand operated det/ent 4I is slidably mounted in suitable guides 42 provided on lever 31 and a spring 43 normally urges said detent 4I into slot 39 provided in plate 38. A link 44 is pivotally attached to detent 4I and lever 31 near the lower ends thereof. It therefore is seen that by drawing the lower end of detent 4I toward lever 31 link 44 will be rocked downwardly, thus causing detent 4I to move out of engagement with slot 39.

From the construction of the elements just described, it is seen that in order to tilt trough 24, the operator simply grasps the lower end of lever 31 and detent 4I, whereby detent 4I will immediately be released from locking engagement with plate 38, and then swings said lever in a counterclockwise direction. This movement is immediately imparted to trough 24 through link 34, and gears 3i and 30, causing said trough to swing about its pivot. When the lever 31 has been swung so that detent 4I registers with slot 40 in Vplate 38, trough 24 will have been swung through 41 which is supported upon a pin 26. Spouti, communicates with a drain pipe 48 which in communicates with the main drain of the plant. 5

In Fig. 4, I have vshown a modified formwof trough mechanism. In thisconstruction a trough 5B is pivotally supported in brackets 5I secured to gate 6 of the hopper. An arm 52 integral with trough 50 has pivotally attached` to `the outer A end thereof a link 53, the upper end o'fvvhich v^vv is pivotally secured to a block 54. Block 54 isv adjustable between'guides .55, secured to end wall 4 of the hopper, so that when the apparatus is assembled, block 54 may be'adjusted to Vproperly position trough 50.- Block 54 is then secured Yin this position by any 4suitable means.

The operation of this construction is thought to be obvious.. When gates 6 and 'I are swung' to open-position the trough 50 is carried by gate 6 and automatically tilted Vby virtue of the'link connection 53. The trough is thus swung out of the path of the ash gravitating from the hopper and at the same time is tilted so that any refuse collected therein is discharged. In this construc-A tion the provision of a bridge in the hopper. is

' unnecessary.

For the purpose of illustration the'trough constructions herein described are shown as employed with hoppers having a pair of swinging gates. It is obvious, however, Y that they are equally applicable to. hoppers wherein a pair of sliding gates are employed to close the discharge opening, or to hoppers wherein a single swinging or sliding gate is employed. It therefore is to be understood that'it is notintended to lconfine the invention to the embodiments herein shown since it Vmay be embodied in other forms all`coming within .the scope of theclaims which follow.

What is claimed is: 1 1. A hopper, havingside and end walls terminating in a discharge opening, closure means normally closing said opening, said closure means' having a drain provid-ed therein, a trough'disposed beneath said drain and pivotally supported on said closure means, and linkage pivotally con'- necting said trough to one of the walls of said hopper, whereby movement of said closure means Y 'hating in av discharge opening, closure means normally closing said opening, said closure means having a drain provided therein, a trough disposedv beneath saiddrain, means for pivotally supporting said Vtrough on said closure means, and means connecting said trough to a iixed l support whereby movement of said closure means toward open position causes tilting of said trough to discharge any material collected therein, and

movement of said closure means toward closed position restores Asaid trough to normal position, and means for moving said closuremeans to open and closedfposition. u I f 3. A hopper :having a discharge opening, a pair of gates normallyV closing said. opening, said gateshaving a drain disposed along the abutting edges thereof, ar trough disposed beneath' said drain and pivotally supported upon one rof'said gates, means connecting said troughftoarxed support, whereby movement. of saidgates toopen position causes-.tilting of said trough to discharge any .i materiaVcollected therein, Vand movement of said vgates'toward closed position restores said trough to normal position, andmeans for operating said gates to? open and closed position. Y

4. A hopper having a discharge opening, closurevmeans normally closing said opening, said closure'means -having a drain'provided therein, a trough disposed beneath said drain and pivotally supported on said closure means, anarm secured to and extending outwardly of saidV trough; and af'link connecting'said arm to a xed support, whereby movement of said closure means to openposition'causes tilting of said trough to discharge any' material :collected therein, and movement `of vsaid closure means' toward closed positonres'tor'es said trough to normal position. L .Y rvrJOSEPH S. BENNETT. 

